Thomas walker



(No Mnae'l.)

T. WALKER. DAMPER REGULATOR.

Patented Apr. 6,11886.

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nTTn dTaTns ldaTnnT @Trinaab THOMAS WALKER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DMPER-REGULATOR.

vSiP35CEI?I{`,A'1I[Ol\l forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,504, dated April 6. 1886.

Application filed October T, 1885. Serial No. 179,203. (No model.)

b @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Tnorras WALKER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in DampenRegulato rs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of regulators in which a damper in the chimney, stack, or iiue is closed when the steam in the boiler reaches a certain pressure, and is opened when the pressure falls below the desired limit, the object of my invention being to render such an apparatus more sensitive in its operation than usual. This object I attain in the manner which I will now proceed to describe, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Y Figure 1 is a view, partlyT in section and partly in elevation, of a damper-regulator having an attachment constructed in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 2 is a sectional View, ou a larger scale, of part of said attachment.

In Fig. 1, A represents part of a chimney or stack, in which is a damper, A', the arma of which is connected bya link, b, to the weighted arm B, which bears upon the stem d of a plunger, D, resting upon a flexible diaphragm, f, in a chest or box, F. Usually this diaphragm is subjected to the pressure of steam, which enters the lower portion of the chest F through a passage, g, communicating, through a pipe, It, directly with the boiler, the diaphragm being consequently subjected at all times to the full boiler pressure. The objection to this arrangement is, that it is not as sensitive in its action as is desired, a difference in pressure of several pounds being necessaryin order to effeet the closing or opening of the damper. In order to overcome this objection, I use an attachment consisting of a casing, H, between the upper and lower portions, .I J', of which is confined a diaphragm, i, connected to a block, in, the latter being secured to or forming part of a rod, iz., which passes through a nut, p, adapted to a threaded opening in the upper portion, J, of the casing, a spring, s, being confined between this nut and the block in, so as to exert upon the latter a downward pressure, the force. of which depends upon the adjustment of the nut. Screwed into the block m is a plug, o, to a central opening in which is adapted the stem w of a valve, w, this valve being adapted to a seat, as, in the lower portion, J, of the casing H, and being confined vertically to the plug o by means of nuts wg, adapted to the threaded upper end of the stem w', the opening in the plug, however, being larger in diameter than the stem of the valve, in order to permit a slight lateral play of the valve in the plug to insure the proper seating of the valve.

The chamber below the diaphragm i communicates through a pipe, y, with the steamspace of the boiler, the pipe It of the damperregulator communicating with a passage, t, the mouth of which is closed by the valve w.

The pipe h has a cook, h, which is so constructed or so adjusted as to provide an opening of contracted area for the escape of steam from the said pipe 7L at a point near the upper end of the same.

W'hen the pressure of steam in the boiler is at or below the desired limit, the upward pressure upon the diaphragm t' is not sufficient to overcome the pressure of the spring s, and the valve w is consequently held to its seat, so that the diaphragm f in the chest F is free from pressure, the plunger D being eonsequentl y depressed under the action of the weighted arm B, and the damper in the flue or stack being allowed to remain open, as shown in Fig. 1. As Y soon as the pressure in the boiler rises above the desired limit, however, the pressure of the spring s is overcome, the diaphragm t' raised, and the valve 'Lo lifted from its seat, so as to permit the steam to enter the pipe h, the diaphragm f of the chest F being consequently subjected to the full boiler pressure, so that the plunger D is elevated, and the damper closed until such time as the pressure in the boiler falls to the desired limit, whereupon the valve w will be closed and the diaphragm f released from pressure, so as to permit the plunger D to fall and thus open the damper.

During all the time that the valve w is open there is a slight escape of steam from the cock It', and after the valve w closes this escape continues until the descent of the plunger D is completed, a more rapid descent being thus permitted than if the steam were trapped in the chest F and pipe h, as in this case the plunger could only descend as the steam became condensed.

IOO

Even with the use of the cock h there is on each operation more or less condensation in the chest F and pipe h, and in a short time this water of condensation will iill said pipe up to the level of the cock, and will thereafter serve as the medium through which the pressure of steam in the boiler acts upon the diaphragm f. Said diaphragm may, therefore, Without risk of deterioration, be made of rubber, which material is advisable on account of its elasticity, which permits the ready movement of the plunger in one direction or the other. The diaphragm r3 in the casing H, however, should be made of thin sheet metal,which will withstand the action of the live steam from the boiler.

A Weight acting upon the stem n may be used instead of the spring s, if desired; but the latter is preferred as more convenient.

In order to prevent the undue rise of the block m, such as would cause the straining of the diaphragm t', said block is provided with a ilange, 7c, which, by contact with a seat in the upper portion, J ,of the casing H, restricts the rise of said block.

Instead of forming a reverse bend, as shown, the pipe 7L may be carried upward directly from the lower portion of the chest F, the construction adopted in all cases being preferably such as will permit the maintenance in the pipe oi' a volume of water as the medium through which pressure is exerted upon the diaphragm f.

A piston may be substituted for the diaphragm for i, and is considered the equivalent of the same, although the diaphragm is preferred.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of the casing H, having a passage, t, and diaphragm i, the block m, connected to said diaphragm, and the valve w, adapted to close said passage t, and having a slight lateral play in the block m, all substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the diaphragm i, the block m, the plug o, secured to said block, the valve w, having a stem adapted to an enlarged opening in said plug, and the nuts wwhereby said valve is conlned vertically to the plug, all substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the damper-regulator, the casing H, having a diaphragm and valve, and the pipe h, connecting the damperregu tor and the casing H, and forming a waterreservoir between the two, all substantially as specified.

4. The combination ofthe damper-regulator, the casing H, having a diaphragm and valve, and the pipe h, connecting the regulator and casing H, and having a cock, h', as set forth.

5. The combination of the casing H, the diaphragm r', the block m, and its valve yw, and a stop, k, whereby the rise of the diaphragm and valve is restricted, all substantially as speciiied.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presen ce of two sub soribing witnesses.

THOMAS VALKER.

Vitnesses:

JOHN E. PARKER, HARRY SMITH. 

